Fancy eating spiced rice sweetened with gur or jaggery?
Try Taruna Deepak's rich and fragrant Gur Ke Meethe Chawal that's garnished with sliced coconut, chopped walnuts and raisins too.
If the rice is left to heat a little longer it gains a burnt crust, quite like Tahdig, a crispy Persian rice whose name translates to mean bottom-of-the-pot rice.
This beautifully caramelised dish is eaten warm and is a delicacy served to impress guests.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Taruna Deepak
Gur Ke Meethe Chawal
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
- 250 gm uncooked Basmati rice
- 500 ml water
- 250 gm gur or jaggery
- 3 tbsp melted ghee, vegans may opt for coconut oil
- ½ tsp jeera or cumin seeds
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
- 2 whole bada or moti elaichi or black cardamom
- 1 tsp green elaichi or cardamom powder
- 3 tbsp or 15 gm dried nariyal or khopra or coconut, cut in ½-inch long pieces
- ½ cup roughly chopped walnuts
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped cranberries or whole raisins, optional
Method
- Wash the rice till the water runs almost clear.
Soak for half an hour.
Drain and discard the water.
Keep aside.
- Grate the jaggery and warm with 250 ml of the water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low.
Keep stirring while the jaggery melts.
Ensure the mixture does not come to a boil.
Take off heat and strain through a sieve lined with muslin cloth to remove impurities.
- Over medium heat, melt the ghee in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Add the cumin seeds, black peppercorns and black cardamom.
Fry for a few seconds and then add the washed rice.
Stir very gently with a spatula so as not to break the rice.
Add the remaining 250 ml water and bring to a boil.
Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat and cover.
Cook for approximately 5 minutes.
Uncover the rice and add half of the jaggery water.
Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
Uncover the rice again and add the remaining jaggery water along with the sliced coconut, chopped walnuts, cardamom powder and raisins.
Toss very gently with a fork.
Cover and cook again for 20-25 minutes or till the water is completely absorbed and a crust begins to form at the bottom.
Take off heat and let the rice sit for a few minutes before opening the lid.
Gently fluff the rice and serve hot.
Don't worry if the rice turns somewhat crisp and brown or is slightly burnt at the bottom while cooking -- in fact, that is the desired texture.
Note: The cooking time and the amount of water required to cook the rice may vary slightly depending on the quality and variety of rice being used. Add more water if required.
The colour of the cooked rice will depend on the colour of the jaggery.
The quantity of walnuts, raisins and coconut to be added is per choice -- omit, decrease or add any other dry fruits or nuts preferred.
Taruna Deepak lives in Mumbai and is the creator of the food blogEasyfoodsmith.
